Family Time

I won't be posting for the next couple of days. Ronnie, the boys, Gram Jackie and I are going to be enjoying ourselves for a few days. Have a great weekend!

Cut, cut, snip, snip...Mama gave me a haircut!

Last night it was decided that Ethan was in need of a haircut. I had actually decided he needed one long before now, but hadn't gotten around to making him an appointment. Then I decided not to make one because I wanted my hair to be long enough to pull back when we go to the beach. So I was glad last night when Ethan told me that I could give him a trim. I was not happy when he told me he wanted it done with scissors. Seriously?! I can't just use the trimmer? So I set in on his little head with a pair of scissors. Just a warning to others who think it's a good idea to cut their children's hair: kids are unable to sit still!

So after what seemed like forever this is what we ended up with in the tub. Scary looking, isn't it?

But this is what his head looks like.

I don't think he looks too bad. Please no comments about it being crooked or anything...I'm not blind. And in case you need me, I'm now taking appointments.

Proof That I'm A Great Parent!

Just a few shots to let everyone see how great of a parent I am!

Elijah getting undressed! He looks like a dreaded Teletubbie or something!

Ethan decided to get in Gram Jackie's clothes baskets, but then somebody used clamps to make sure he didn't get out! It was Grandma's idea!Note: He was allowed out and no children were abused in the making of this blog.

Ethan decided he wanted chocolate milk and he was going to make it himself. Yay! We're out of milk. Oops! So he sits in his chair in front of the fridge crying. Note: He is NOT a starved child. And don't judge me based on my refrigerator...I hate cleaning it out!

Picnic

After my last post I knew that I needed to do something to help me recharge. I was almost drained, but my super hero had helped me turn a corner. It was time for supper, but I didn't feel like cooking and I wasn't in the mood to drive for take-out. I had recently looked at Kelle Hampton's blog, Enjoying the Small Things (very inspirational and gorgeous pictures), and read her article about packing the perfect picnic basket. I didn't care that I didn't even have a picnic basket. I needed the atmosphere of a picnic. I needed to enjoy the small things. The moments that I have with my amazing two boys. So. We had a picnic. Right in the front yard in the warmth of the evening July sun. And even though it wasn't much, it was perfect for us.

Our meal: PB&J for me, Jelly for Ethan, Water for me, OJ for Ethan and Oreos!

Ethan was very excited and thought it was extremely neat to eat outside!

We got a picture of the three of us. This was the best of our attempts.Ethan and Elijah cuddled.Then Ethan played a hopping game with a cricket.

And Elijah enjoyed the sights and sounds.And I was reminded how awesome it is to be a mother. And that I love the view from my seat in my mommy mobile.

Hello Again

I have been hounded for over a week about posting again. Well. Here I am. I have a lot to post so we'll see how far I can get today. With 2 cranky boys I'll do the best I can.

My Superhero!

It's been one of those days. It seems like Ronnie is a million miles away. I had to pay for Ronnie's speeding ticket (not cheap these days). I had to take Gram Jackie to the hospital. The last one scares me because she is never sick. My other grandma is always in the hospital, but never this one. Then I go to the post office to get a certified letter stating that we weren't qualified for the home buyer's credit. Yuck. Like I said, just one of those days.



I cried. A lot. I try not to do that. But when a cocky-thinks-he-knows-it-all-rent-a-cop hospital security guard gets ugly with me I don't do well. Especially when he's keeping me from my grandma. (I am in the process of filing a formal complaint with the hospital about that.) But I put on the strong face for my sweet Grandma. So many times she's been my rock and I knew I could return the favor. She should be ok, but I still worry about her. And since it has been a tough day I miss her more. Because normally on bad days she listens and gives me some of the best advice that there is to give. So please say a little prayer for my grandma. Or a big one if you can. She deserves it.


Then I cried over some other stuff.



But I'm trying to keep my spirits up. I've always struggled with my emotions. I used to always be the happy-go-lucky girl in the group that made everyone laugh. I don't know when I lost that. Or suppressed it. But I miss it. I want it back, but I feel so stuck. I'll keep working on it. I know that Melissa is still in there. I'll just have to go get her and bring her over so we can have some fun together.


Sorry about that ramble. But I had to preface the next part of my post so you would understand. I'm a lucky girl. I can call my wonderful husband and talk to him about anything and everything. And he always makes me feel better.

But today I needed a hug. A really big hug. A hug that lets you know it's all going to be okay. A hug that tells you that you are an awesome person and no one can take your place. I needed my superhero! And with a "Da da da daaaaa!" he was here! Amazing!


And I know he's a superhero. He knew exactly what was wrong. He said, "I'm a superhero Mama. And I'm gonna make you not cry!" And you know what? It worked. Plus, he had a "cate" (cape). "You know, Mama, a blanket on my back!"


And you know what else? I got my hug. And I knew it was all going to be ok. Because I have an amazing life. I just needed a little reminding.

Our Life

We'll start today with nothing but the cutest face ever!

When Ethan was small I alternated between disposable and cloth diapers. I liked the cloth ones, but I was never dedicated enough to use them as I still bought disposables and used them after all the cloth were dirty and I didn't feel like doing laundry. While pregnant with Elijah I decided that I was going to go all out this time and use cloth. I ordered several items and was content that I would be able to cloth diaper as soon as Elijah got here. But.... The hospital provided newborn Pampers and I got in the habit of picking up a pack at Wal-Mart. It was just so easy! But then the low price leader decided to not have the sensitive dipes. And then they decided not to have his size. And I decided I was tired of spending money on something I was only going to trash in the end. So I switched to cloth. Elijah hasn't worn a disposable since he was a few weeks old. This past week I ordered the cutest diaper and he gladly modeled it for me. It is so soft and so cute. I love his little fluffy bottom!

I posted earlier about Elijah being sick and needing breathing treatments with a nebulizer.

He fights with all his might at times. Screams. Kicks. Cries. It is so sad. He even learned a couple of tricks to get out of it for a minute. 1. He wraps the tubing between his toes and kicks hard enough to pull it off of the mask thus making me have to re-plug. 2. He puts little fingers in the holes on either side of the mask and yanks it off his face making me stop, remove both fingers and re-position.

And guess who found his toes! This is one of my favorite baby activities. The discovery and the sucking of little toes!

Ethan has ridden many tractors in his time. But never a John Deere. Ronnie used this one to bush hog the yard (pitiful...bush hog a yard) and gave the boys their first rides on a JD. Ethan was very excited!

And Elijah just took it all in. At this age Big Brother loved these rides for their nap inducing powers. I think Elijah may feel the same way.

After a long morning it was time for a nap. Yes, Elijah is asleep even though his one eye is still open. Sweet Dreams Boys.

New to Us

We got our own computer about a month ago I guess it was, and since we didn't have a real computer desk we had a pretty uncomfortable setup on the floor. Our "desk" was a cedar chest that Ronnie bought at an auction last summer. It's cute. It's just not a desk. So to say we were tired of sitting on the floor in awkward positions with sore arms, backs, and/or legs would be a little understated. So I began my search for a real desk that I liked. Should be easy. NOT! I looked at Wally World. No luck. I looked at several stores online, but I could not find anything I liked that looked like it could survive a house with a crazy lady, a big man, a tornado of a 3-year-old and an up-and-coming wild child. Either that or it was really expensive. If you know me, you know I'm cheap and won't buy expensive.


Over the weekend I remembered my friend, craig. You know him; he has a famous list that I love to look over. I looked at a few desks, but they were those fake wood ones that I was trying to avoid due to the destructiveness of the people stated above. Then I found it. The one. The desk that I had to have and if I didn't get it no desk would ever be as good as this one. Lucky for me it was nearby. Unlucky for me it was at a consignment store that was already closed for the weekend. I decided that after Elijah's appointment on Monday that I would stop by and if The Desk was still there I would buy it. With excitement I pulled in to the parking lot, but discovered that the store would not be open until 11.00 Tuesday. Not to be deterred I called at 11.01 Tuesday morning to inquire of The Desk. They still had it!! And they were willing to hold it until the close of business. Needless to say, I gathered myself, my children and all the gear that goes along with us and trekked to the store. I paid and then wondered how in the world I was going to fit this thing into my mommy mobile. The store owner was smart and measured the desk and I measured the van only to discover that I would not be able to bring my treasure home.

Then my wonderful hubby arrives home and gets today off!!! We steal a truck and go to the consignment store to claim my goods. And here it is:

Our New To Us Desk That Is Just What I Wanted